my blessed life

As you may well have guessed, I LOVE blue and white china!! I have lots of mismatched blue and white transferware hanging around my kitchen. We eat daily from a set of Johnson Bros. Blue Willow. I also have several blue and white ceramic accessories around the house. This is our 5th residence since we've been married and I have decorated with blue and white somewhere in each. Along the way though I've discovered that blue and white can go with just about any color scheme. I've hung them plates on white walls, tan walls, gold walls, red walls, pale yellow walls, apple green walls and patterned wallpapered walls. So at my home you'll see touches of blue and white just about anywhere. I thought I'd share a particular collection that I've been accumulating for several years now. It has starred in a white beaded board bathroom, an apple green playroom and now a soft golden laundry room. It's my blue and white state plate collection. And by *state plate* I don...

We had a great time celebrating Vince's birthday this year! The weekend before, my sister and Mom were here for a visit and we got to go out for a delicious steak dinner. saying "goodbye" to Nana & Aunt Kari Then at Vince's request, we got out-of-town for a couple of days for some family time. We decided to head up to Nashville. It was a great get-away! We got a hotel with an indoor pool so we could take the kiddos swimming (they LOVE the water). Mr. B was all tuckered out after the drive the Princess checking out downtown Music City USA Vince requested Hard Rock Cafe for his birthday dinner and we were happy to comply. The kiddos even got some *free* HRC guitar pins for their jean jackets (due to a burger debacle)--they look so cute! where you can get a burger for only $12.00 The next morning we took the kiddos to the Adventure Science Center--an interactive children's museum. We all had a great time! Mr. B was a l...

My husband, in pictures........ Happy Birthday, Vince!!!

This week I helped to host a baby shower for a sweet friend from church. This is the third baby *boy* shower that I've helped to host recently. I think there must be a *boy boom* going on at our church! For each of these showers I've baked these wonderful ( and easy ....shhh, don't tell!) chocolate cupcakes. They taste like yummy ones from a professional bakery to me. I was gazing wistfully at the last two left this morning--I really want to eat them, but then there would be no more. Anyway, I thought I would share this wonderful recipe and also one for the yummy frosting I've used: One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder (Hershey's Special Dark is delicious!) 2 1/2 cups sugar 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1 1/4 tsp. salt 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups milk 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbls. vegetable oil 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups warm w...

Last week's menus went really well! Doing the pantry/fridge/freezer inventory before planning was great. You know there's always something that you forgot was in there-ha! This week I'm trying a couple of *new recipes* from the cookbook Mother's Recipes . My friend Teresa gave me a copy a few years ago. I've made several things from it before and they are always delicious. Monday : (I'm preparing a simple meal for the nursery workers' meeting tonight) chicken salad croissant sandwiches chips & dip veggie tray dessert TBA Tuesday : pinto & navy beans with ham (prepared in crockpot), buttermilk cornbread (I never got around to this last week) Wednesday : (meal @ church) hamburger steaks, baked potatoes, rolls, dessert Thursday : chicken & tortilla dumplings* (recipe below) Friday: apricot chicken* (recipe below), salad, veggie TBA Saturday: most likely dinner out--we'll have company and there's a big youth event going on. Chicken &...

Mom's Gumbo 1 pkg. Gumbo mix 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 4-6 chicken breasts 1/2 bag frozen okra 1 pkg. smoked sausage 2 tbls. minced garlic 1 tbls. seasoned salt ************ In a large stock pot, combine gumbo mix with the amount of water suggested on the package (use cold water). Bring to a boil, stirring continually. Next add green onion and celery. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then add the chicken and cook 30 minutes. Remove chicken to cool. Next add the okra, sausage, garlic and seasoned salt. Simmer 1 more hour. Meanwhile shred the chicken, adding it back to the pot after the last hour of cooking. Continue cooking till chicken is heated through. Serve with rice.

the Princess' new do I was sad about giving the Princess a substantial trim (about 4"), but she really did need it for her hair to be healthier. I know it'll grow fast. She's loving it though (as if you couldn't tell by that irrepressible cheesy smile she couldn't wipe off her face-ha!). Now if only Nana won't kill me...